Ventilated sewing thimble



p 1952 F. E. HARDEN 2,609,978

VENTILATED SEWING THIMBLE Filed Sept. 2, 1950 Patented Sept. 9, 1952UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATED SEWING THIMBLE Faith E. Harden,Chicago, 111.

Application September 2, 1950, Serial No. 182,964

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a sewing thimble. More particularly it hasreference to a thimble provided with ventilating apertures.

As is commonly known conventional sewing thimbles comprise a dimpled orother type of pebble-like surface for preventing slippage of the needle.My invention, in one aspect, has for its object to so modifytheseprotuberances to provide ventilation of the space intermediate thethimble and finger in order to eliminate irritation of the latter due toperspiration. In another aspect the invention contemplates the provisionof a novel thimble having an endwise located working face and aventilated finger-gripping portion.

Other objects reside in attaining the foregoing ends in an inexpensivemanner, and one capable of employment in sewing thimbles generally.

In the drawing which shows certain forms the invention may assume inpractice:

Fig. l is a fragmentary, medial cross section of one form of my improvedthimble;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Turning first to Figs. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a thimble having arelatively thin frusto conical body I0 terminating at it lower end in amarginal flange H for reinforcement. For simplicity some portions of thebody have been shown broken away. The major extent of the exteriorsurface of the body is occupied by a plurality of dimples orprotuberances 12 arranged as closely together as is practicable toinsure that the head of the sewing needle when thrust through the work,will not slip, and as is understood. Alternatively the protuberance I2may be inverted to present pits or depressions, and

2 with the forming of the protuberances although not so limited.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is shown a modified form of thimble in which theworking area is confined to a spherically radial cap 16 forming an endwall for the thimble, this cap being dimpled or pitted as at I! asexplained in connection with Fig. l, the latter alternative being seenin cross-sectional detail in Fig. 5. Each depression I1 is provided withan individual vent opening 18 functioning in the same manner as theapertures I3 of Fig. 1. The side wall I9 is apertured as shown toprovide a plurality of extended open areas 20 whereby to decrease thearea of the thimble in contact with the finger, and thus lessenirritation due to pressure of the thimble and perspiration.

From the foregoing it will have been comprehended that I have, withoutchanging the basic functioning of well-known sewing thimbles, providedone which relieves the irritation due to perspiration incident upon theuse of such prior thimbles.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will beunderstood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications may be made, and I therefore contemplate by theappended claim to cover any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is: A sewing thimble comprising a shell having the upperportion thereof provided on its exterior with closely spaced depressionsfor engagement with the head of the needle, each said depression havingan aperture therein extending through said shell, the said aperturesindividually being smaller than the head dimension of the smallestneedle-with which the thimble is intended to be employed.

FAITH E. HARDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS McNamara June 3, 1930

